"Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the Republic of Alsace Trey Thompson!"

Applause rang through the television. John Hammond emitted a slight smile as he watched the man take the stage.

"John, why do you keep watching the speeches of the various heads of state?" Benjamin Lockwood asked him, sitting next to him. "You have already looked at every speech of every nation at least four times"

John gave a cough. Even if he tried not to show it, he felt life slipping away from him day after day. He knew he didn't have much time left. Even though the doctors had told him he could last another year, he doubted he would last another month.

Yet despite all the mistakes he had made in life, he was at peace with himself. His only concern, for a long time, had been to create a peaceful world for his grandchildren. And finally, even though he knew that he would not live long enough to see it realized, he was now able to glimpse the hope of a bright future on the horizon.

He turned slightly to look at Lockwood. His friend had used his last energy to visit him. By now he too was old and sickly and couldn't get out of his wheelchair. His sunken face bore the marks of life rapidly escaping from his body. Like Hammond, he wouldn't live long.

Maybe that was why he had come to see him. Perhaps he wanted to use what little time he had left to mend the rift that had divided them all their lives. Even if they were on the same side, even if they worked together, the two had not yet spoken to each other outside the minimum necessary.

In the past Hammond would have sent Lockwood away, but this time he had chosen to let him stay. Perhaps he too was beginning to feel the uselessness of that rancor now that his life had almost come to an end. Feeling that you were one step away from the grave made you re-evaluate your existence a lot.

Seeing that his friend was still waiting for an answer, Hammond hastened to reply: "They make me happy. These speeches... all these heads of state, announcing that they will try to coexist with the dinosaurs... finally everything we have worked for so far is taking shape. Aren't you happy?"

Lockwood nodded. "Yes, I admit, I'm happy. Although I would like to see all this realized"

"We're two old bitches, Ben, and a new world can't be built in one day. Let's bask in knowing that we made it, and that our grandchildren will live in a different world than the one we leave behind"Hammond told him. Lockwood replied with a chuckle.

On television, president Thompson was speaking, in the language of his country: "… and therefore thanks to the support and intelligence of lord Sobek we will soon have completely resolved the famine, the economic crisis and unemployment; a great achievement for all of us. As a sign of thanks, all the nations of the Eden Union will strive to realize the ideal of coexistence to which Lord Sobek so aspires: starting from the next few weeks, the Republic of Alsace will host a contingent of about two hundred dinosaurs, as will all the others. countries of the organization, so as to..."

"BUH!"

The two men briefly jumped when a blonde girl of about nine jumped out from behind a piece of furniture. "Maisie!" Lockwood exclaimed angrily. "Don't make such jokes! You know John has a heart problem!"

The little girl clasped her hands behind her back and looked at the floor with a guilty air: "Sorry, Grandpa" she said simply, in a falsely repentant tone. Lockwood knew he would do it again sooner or later.

John, however, had taken it upon himself to laugh: "Forget it, Ben. She's young, lets her have fun" he said, stroking the girl's blond head. With a pimp look Maisie smiled at him and hugged his hand.

Maisie had arrived with Lockwood at Hammond's mansion and incredibly, although she was by nature a rather shy and shy child, she had immediately bonded with her grandfather's old friend, not missing an opportunity to be close to him. Neither Lockwood nor Hammond knew how she did it, but there were no doors or walls that could hold her back: each time she found a way to reach Hammond's room, where her two old friends used to entertain.

The door slammed open. "Maisie Lockwood, I knew you were here!" was the scream that came from the door. Here is another person who had arrived at the mansion with Lockwood: the housekeeper Iris Carroll, who she constantly went crazy every time the child disappeared from her sight, and she never missed an opportunity to express her disappointment with beautiful screams. "Did she cause you problems, sir?"

"Don't worry, Iris, she didn't do anything wrong" Lockwood replied. "Now Maisie goes back to her room, right?"

The little girl nodded and walked quickly to her housekeeper, who seemed to be using all her self-control not to pull her ears: "Bad child! One day my heart might stop!" she exclaimed as she closed the door behind them.

Hammond stared tenderly at the spot where the two had disappeared. "She is really adorable"

"Already. She is the same as… she" Lockwood said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

John turned to him with a serious look: "Do you know? What is she about?"

"Does it seem to you that she is of her age to handle such a truth? You better not know" Lockwood replied in an annoyed voice. "What are you, an attempt to hold him back? Don't expect her to say she made a mistake that day. I would do it again"

"I don't want you to say it was a mistake, and I don't want to blame you for it. I'm too tired" Hammond said. "That day… I lost a friend. One of my best friends, those friends you always want to have by your side. But I can understand why you did it... that little girl is a joy for the eyes"

"What do you mean 'you're too tired'?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're old, Ben. We don't even have the strength to sit alone. What's the point of wasting energy with grudge of many years ago? I never approve or approve of your actions, but discussing them won't change the past" Hammond stared intently at Lockwood. "I don't want to leave without having mended the relationship with one of my... well, my best friend, since Henry is not here anymore... so... would you like to put a stone on it?"

Lockwood was silent for a moment, then with a force he didn't think he had he lifted an arm and put his hand on his shoulder. "You don't know how much long I have waited for this moment"

Hammond shook his bony hand. "Me too. But let me tell you one thing, then let's not talk about this anymore: Maisie must know. I can understand that she is still not the right age... but sooner or later you will have to tell her what she is. It is right that she knows"

Lockwood nodded: "When the time comes... she'll know"

The two friends no longer touched on the subject: they continued chatting together in front of the television, remembering the old days of their youth, when the whole world seemed to be in their hands.

******

"At a long last!"

Sobek nearly roared with delight when he saw the fame points finally reach 10 billion. His trip to the human continent had paid off: his speech, added to what the various heads of state had said about him in their interviews, had guaranteed him the achievement of the much sought-after sum.

It had already been two weeks since he had returned to Maakanar, and all the while he had been keeping an eye on his fame points, eagerly waiting for them to reach the amount necessary to start his latest evolution.

Determined not to miss a second, he used the mind-sharing feature of the [Contract] and contacted Old Li, who, like many others, was currently on a ship en route to human nations. The ankylosaurus didn't wait to answer: "Pack leader?"

"Old Li, sorry if I disturb you, but I must warn you: you will not be able to look for me for the next two weeks, because I will be in the midst of an evolution"

"Will you evolve now, sir? It doesn't seem like a good time, in less than four days we will be on the human continent; we may need your directives"

"I trust that for a few days you will be able to handle the situation, also I doubt that the humans will start acting against us so soon. No, if I waited too long I would not be comfortable while I evolve. Also, with the nuclear threat so close, the sooner I evolve, the better"

"Okay, pack leader. I will do my best. I will also inform Al and the others"

"Thanks, Old Li. Good luck"

Once that conversation was over, Sobek immediately called Buck and Carnopo too, who were not long in coming and immediately ran to his bed. They unlike Old Li and Al had not left for the human continent since their job was to manage the army, not to negotiate. "For the next two weeks I don't want to be disturbed" Sobek ordered. "If a problem arises, try to buy time until I wake up"

"Yes, pack leader!" they both exclaimed. Unlike Old Li, Buck and Carnopo didn't think too much about orders: they trusted their pack leader and that was enough.

As soon as they were gone, Sobek lay down and opened the System interface.

[Do you wish to evolve to Spinosaurus divinus?]

Sobek was in a state of excitement: finally, he would reach his maximum potential. The latest evolution of him and, as such, also the latest enhancements of him.

"Yes! I want!"

His eyelids immediately became heavy. He barely felt a last spark of excitement before entering the world of dreams.